Exclusion, Gender, and Mano Dura Policie

This course aims to develop a comprehensive perspective on gangs and violence in Latin American cities, with a special focus on young men’s subjectivities in urban spaces. Particular attention will be paid to the experiences of youths from marginalized populations and sectors. We will undertake a systematic reflection departing from the following themes: urban and armed violence in Latin America, social exclusion, mano dura polices, youth gangs and their transfiguration into organized crime; criminal governances as well as negotiated paths to gang violence. Urban crime and fear of it are perhaps the most pressing concerns for Latin Americans in countries across the region, such as El Salvador, Colombia, Brazil, México, and Venezuela. Media, government, and public discourse situate young men and gangs as the principal perpetrators of urban violence and crime. Indeed, most victimizers are men and they make up the majority of victims of violent deaths. They have become the target of governments’ repressive measures and extreme responses such as extrajudicial killings and mano dura policies. In this course we will pay particular attention to these extra-legal responses to young men, such as extrajudicial killings predicated upon the lethal stigmatization of lower-class youths. We will develop a thorough analysis of youth violence departing from the structural forces that drive youths to violent lifestyles. We will learn about the cultural dispositions associated with gender identities and lived experience. We will discuss the deleterious effects of Mano Dura policies in Latin American in countries such as El Salvador, Venezuela and Brazil and how gangs have transformed into criminal and lethal networks to respond. We will dive as well into the armed territorial orders and criminal governance established by these groups in their neighborhoods. Finally, we will discuss and reflect upon the ongoing fascinating debate of alternative paths to gang violence and criminal governances such as inclusion programs and negotiated pacts. The course also aims to familiarize students with the rich literature that has blossomed in Latin America related to these topics and to foster theoretical dialogues with these studies, including my own field research experience with youth in Caracas. Since the course aims to approach the experience of young men with local dynamics of armed&nbs